3DLabs vs Matrox vs ati9000

[zacksmith]

HI All

Im looking for a dual monitor card for work. Its got to have the best 2d I can find. I have it down to basically three cards the Matrox g550, Ati 9000 or the 3dlabs wildcat vp 560. The 3dlabs card is twice the price of the other two. Anybody have any experience with these type cards and know which would have the crispiest picture on 19inch monitors? If you know another brand and model let me know!!

thanks

[Weeboll]

just trying to compare - been sitting in front of g550 at work all day and a radeon 9000 now - both on iiyama monitors, and i'll check again at work tomorrow but i reckon the matrox just holds the edge, but i'd get the radeon so that even the most occasional 3d or dvd element looks as good as the 2d...

sorry no experiance of the 3dlabs card

[Moraelin v2.0]

Well, if it's for work anyway, _and_ if said work only includes 2D stuff (e.g., Excel stuff), I suppose you can just get the cheapest dual monitor card and go with that. No idea which that means down there, but looking at the price list of a local shop that means the ATI 9000. Which would incidentally also be a lot faster in both 2D and 3D. In fact, you can probably just as well get an old Radeon VE, if you can still find that anywhere: it should have dual display all right, and still run circles around a G550.

Sorry, much as I used to be a Matrox fanboy, I think that nowadays they're only marginally less of a joke than the Bitboyz.

But as I've said, if that work only includes 2D stuff, just about any of those should be more than good enough. Just pick whichever card you fancy, and there you go.

[Bink]

zacksmith:

Its got to have the best 2d I can find.

Then the answer simply, is Matrox.


If the system won't be seeing major 3d games and such, then there's no need to comprimise.

[Shinma]

For use with 2D and dual monitor support in regular office environment,
I would vote for Matrox.

[Weeboll]

well, i've just compared the radeon and matrox and I'm with the matrox but there is very little in it - certainly not enough to sway me from ati

[zacksmith]

Another thing that i have to consider is the price. The Matrox technology is 2 0r 3 years old, but their still charging 2003 prices for it. A retail ati 9000pro will give me 3 year warranty. In order to get that type of warranty with matrox id have to spend over 100 bucks. The ati can be had 90 bucks.

[Bink]

zacksmith:

The Matrox technology is 2 0r 3 years old, but their still charging 2003 prices for it.

True, but that technology is still producing the best 2d quality so I guess they see no reason to reduce their prices. Matrox target the professional market and their drivers, product support and general reliability (and prices) reflects that.

[Shinma]

You asked and we answered.

If you do not like the feedback, *shrug* it's your money, so do what you will.

And yes,
We are aware of the general prices for the video cards listed.